engine water circulation question...

[bigmac]

If I pump antifreeze into the return line of my heater hose (on an MCX), which returns the heater core water to the top of the intake manifold, will it fill the water jackets on both sides of the engine block?

I ask this because when I antifreeze-ed my engine via intake-sucking out of a bucket, I don't think the thermostat was open (over-cooling from the garden hose, I suspect). I say this because when I drained the engine later, there was antifreeze in the exhaust manifolds, but not in the block. I subsequently pumped antifreeze into the pump side of the heater hose and it eventually came out the block drain on the knock-sensor side, but I couldn't see if it came out the block drain on the other side.

Now, I suspect I'll be OK anyway because I know the heater core is clear of water and the block and manifolds are drained as MasterCraft recommends in the owner's manual. And all of the hoses are disconnected and emptied per the manual, but I wouldn't mind having antifreeze in all the little undrained low spots in the block instead of water, since they're predicting a rather cold Minnesota winter. I'd hate to miss something.

So, antifreeze into the intake manifold via heater hose return - both sides of the block, or just one side?

[NeilM]

BigMac - eventually it should.

If all of the hoses are off as recommended in the manual and the block drain plugs are out, you should be fine. The water jackets in the block were full of water when you ran the antifreeze through, making it tough to displace all of that water in just a few minutes at idle.

With the drain plugs out, you won't crack the block..

Just make sure there isn't water trapped in the low spots of any hoses and that the lower hose is off the circulating pump (all the hoses stated in the manual), and you'll be fine.

The accessories - heater, shower, tranny cooler are the ones to worry about.

[bigmac]

BigMac - eventually it should.

If all of the hoses are off as recommended in the manual and the block drain plugs are out, you should be fine. The water jackets in the block were full of water when you ran the antifreeze through, making it tough to displace all of that water in just a few minutes at idle.

With the drain plugs out, you won't crack the block..

Just make sure there isn't water trapped in the low spots of any hoses and that the lower hose is off the circulating pump (all the hoses stated in the manual), and you'll be fine.

The accessories - heater, shower, tranny cooler are the ones to worry about.

Thanks. I pumped antifreeze through the heater core til it came out the other hose, then blew it all out with air pressure (lung-power). The tranny cooler is mounted vertically, so pulling the raw water pump output hose off completely should have let the it drain completely. Big hose off the circulating pump - still connected to the thermostat housing - but again it's vertical so should drain completely.

OK...and the dock is out, the lawn furniture is in, sprinkler system is blown out. All I need to do is winterize the Whaler, put the snowblower on the tractor, point the snowmobile out the garage door and the lake-dweller's annual fall ritual will be complete. Then it can snow...I hope...

[bigmac]

BigMac - eventually it should.

If all of the hoses are off as recommended in the manual and the block drain plugs are out, you should be fine. The water jackets in the block were full of water when you ran the antifreeze through, making it tough to displace all of that water in just a few minutes at idle.



Aaahh...now I get your meaning :o . Obviously I should have drained the block of water and emptied the heater hoses before dunking the hose in the bucket of antifreeze.

[NeilM]

Aaahh...now I get your meaning :o . Obviously I should have drained the block of water and emptied the heater hoses before dunking the hose in the bucket of antifreeze.

That's what I do... dunno if I'm just too paranoid or not, but I sure couldn't afford to replace the engine.

yep... sprinklers are blown out, hoses put away, time to get the snow ski racks mounted.. :eek: